Phùng Quang Thanh (Vietnamese pronunciation: [fʊwŋ͡m˨˩ kwaːŋ˧˧ tʰajŋ̟˧˧]; 2 February 1949 – 11 September 2021[2]) was a General of the Vietnam People's Army and served both as Minister of Defense from 2006 to 2016, and Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission.

On February 11, 1971, Phùng Quang Thanh, the platoon leader of 1st Company, 9th Battalion, 64th Regiment, 320th Division, personally commanded a squad defending the Hill Không Tên.

During the war, he received total three Liberation Distinguished Service Medals, 1st Order (Huân chương Chiến công Giải phóng hạng nhất), three Brave Soldier Titles (Danh hiệu Dũng sĩ) and other awards.

[1] After the Vietnam War, Thanh continued to hold several positions in the 1st Army Corps from chief of staff of the 64th Regiment to acting commander of the 312th Division in 1988.

In 1991, after two years studying in the Soviet Union and the Military Academy of Vietnam, Thanh was promoted to commander (sư đoàn trưởng) of the 312th Division.

Despite the efforts of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the Vietnamese government, a team of dedicated professors and doctors, and his family’s devoted care, he succumbed to his illness after a prolonged period of severe health decline.